In medical terminology, the combining form spir- denotes which meaning?

• A. Coil
• B. Circle
• C. Breath
• D. Bone

Answer: (A)

The combining form spir- denotes a coil or spiral shape. This root comes from Latin spira, meaning a coil or twist, and is used in medical terms to describe structures that have a winding, spiraled form. That’s why coil fits best: you’ll encounter spir- in words and contexts where the emphasis is on a twisted, coiled geometry, such as spiral-shaped structures or organisms. The other meanings—circle, breath, or bone—are represented by different roots (circ- or cycl- for circle, pneumo- or spir- in some breath-related terms, osteo- for bone), so spir- is not used to convey those ideas. An example you might see is a spiral-shaped structure described with spir- in its formation.